Ways to Boost Fiber

From  The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics website: 

http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442478886

Ways to Boost Fiber

By Holly Larson, MS, RD
Fiber is an essential nutrient. However, most Americans are falling far short of the recommended daily amount in their diets. Women should aim for 25 grams of fiber per day, while men should target 38 grams (or 21 and 30 grams daily, respectively, for those over the age of 51).
Dietary fiber contributes to our health and wellness in a number of ways. First, it aids in providing fullness after meals, which helps promote a healthy weight. Second, adequate fiber can help to lower cholesterol. Third, it helps prevent constipation and diverticulosis; and, fourth, adequate fiber from food helps keep blood sugar within a healthy range.

Natural Sources of Fiber

Eating the skin or peel of fruits and vegetables provides a greater dose of fiber, which is found naturally in these sources. Fiber is also found in beans and lentils, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Typically, the more refined or processed a food becomes, the lower its fiber content. For example, one medium apple with the peel contains 4.4 grams of fiber, while ½ cup of applesauce contains 1.4 grams, and 4 ounces of apple juice contains none at all.
With a few simple and tasty substitutions, you can increase your fiber from foods in no time. For breakfast, choose steel cut oats with nuts and berries instead of a plain low-fiber, refined cereal. At lunch, have a sandwich or wrap on a whole-grain tortilla or whole-grain bread and add veggies, such as lettuce and tomato, or serve with veggie soup. For a snack, have fresh veggies or whole-grain crackers with hummus. With dinner, try brown rice or whole-grain noodles instead of white rice or pasta made with white flour.
Here are a few whole foods that are naturally high in fiber:

• 1 large pear with skin (7 grams)
• 1 cup fresh raspberries (8 grams)
• ½ medium avocado (5 grams)
• 1 ounce almonds (3.5 grams)
• ½ cup cooked black beans (7.5 grams)
• 3 cups air-popped popcorn (3.6 grams)
• 1 cup cooked pearled barley (6 grams)

When increasing fiber, be sure to do it gradually and with plenty of fluids. Fiber in your diet is similar to a new sponge; it needs water to plump up. If you consume more than your usual intake of fiber but not enough fluid, you may experience nausea or constipation.
Before you reach for the fiber supplements, consider this: fiber is found naturally in nutritious, whole foods. Studies have found the same benefits, such as a feeling of fullness may not result from fiber supplements or from fiber-enriched foods. If you're missing out on your daily amount of fiber, you may be trailing in other essential nutrients as well. Your fiber intake is a good gauge for overall diet quality. Try to reach your fiber goal with whole foods so you get all the other benefits they provide.

Reviewed October 2013

---

Holly Larson, MS, RD, is owner of Grass Roots Nutrition in Oxford, Ohio. She empowers clients to achieve their health goals by preparing and enjoying delicious, seasonal food.
 

Hit the Road!

 Summer is here for most school children and many of you may be planning family vacations. 

Here is an article with a great list of smart snacks to pack...

Ah, road trips: You stare at the road all day, eating candy out of boredom and downing coffee to stay alert. Upon reaching your destination, you feel jittery and bloated. This is no way to start your vacation! It's easy to grab candy and soda at a gas station, but with a little planning, you can snack the smart way on a road trip and arrive at your destination feeling energized.

Pack Sensible Snacks

Don't rely on empty calories to power your road trip. Instead, pack snacks that will fuel you with protein, fiber and healthy carbohydrates. Here are some good grab-and-go options:

• Unsalted nuts
• Pre-washed fruit like apples, pears, bananas and grapes
• Dried fruit
• Pre-cut raw veggies
• Whole-grain crackers or pretzels
• Plain popcorn
• Peanut butter

Pre-portion snacks into single-serving bags before you leave home. Never bring a big bag of chips, crackers or other snack food on the road—it's too easy to snack by the handful.
A cooler is another great option—just be sure to keep the cooler temperature under 40°F. "Use ice packs to keep the cooler cool," says Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson Judy Caplan, MS, RDN. "Start with everything already refrigerated or frozen so it stays cool longer." Pack the following items:

• Reduced-fat cheese sticks or slices
• Reduced-sodium deli turkey sandwiches or wraps
• Individual containers of low-fat or fat-free yogurt
• Low-fat dip, hummus or guacamole to eat with veggies or whole-grain chips

Steer Clear of Sweet and Salty Eats

Keep your energy up with healthy snacks. "If you want something sweet, try a piece of dark chocolate with fruit or a small handful of almonds," says Caplan.
Also avoid high-fat and high-sodium food on road trips. High-fat food may make you feel sluggish, while high-sodium food can make you thirsty (leading to frequent bathroom breaks). "Usually if you're going to be eating meals out while traveling, they'll be high in sodium," says Caplan. "You'll want to balance that out with low-sodium snacks."

Stay Hydrated

When on the road, try drinking fizzy seltzer water, or water with a little flavor added that's still low in calories. Another option? Add a slice or two of a lemon or lime to regular water and drink up!
"If you drink a lot of coffee, cola or other drinks with caffeine on the road, you'll arrive at your destination buzzed and might have trouble sleeping," warns Caplan. "Instead, pack a thermos of ice water or tea with sprigs of mint, slices of lemon or cucumber. It's really refreshing when you've been sitting in a car for a long time."

Keep Tabs on Portion Size

Portion sizes still count when you're traveling. Learn how to read a nutrition facts label to defend yourself against road trip weight gain.
Finally, put your smart phone to work. Many diet and nutrition apps supply portion and nutrition information when you're on the move.
 

 (From EatRight.org)

 

Just one daily soda....

 

Do you have 'just one soda' a day and think that 's ok? 

Maybe you should read this...SODA

Well...the link doesn't want to work for me, so here is article: 

Just one daily soda can raise diabetes risk, study finds

By Rachael Rettner
MyHealthNewsDaily
Drinking just one 12-ounce soda a day may increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, a new study from Europe suggests.
In the study, people who drank a 12-ounce sugar-sweetened soda daily were 18 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes over a 16-year period compared with those who did not consume soda. And people who drank two sodas daily were 18 percent more likely to have a stroke than those who drank one; those who drank three sodas daily saw the same risk increase compared with those who drank two, and so on.
The results held even after the researchers took into account risk factors for Type 2 diabetes such as age and physical activity levels, body mass index (BMI) and the total daily calorie intake.
The findings agree with earlier studies in the United States, which found daily soda consumption increased the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 25 percent.
However, the study found only an association, and cannot prove soda consumption causes Type 2 diabetes. It's possible other factors not accounted for by the study influenced the disease risk. In addition, participants answered questions about their diet just once at the study's start, and it's possible they changed their diets over time, the researchers said.
The researchers analyzed information from about 12,000 people who developed Type 2 diabetes between 1991 and 2007, and a randomly selected group of about 15,000 people, most of whom did not develop diabetes. All participants were taking part in a larger study looking into the interaction between diet, environmental factors and the risk of cancer and chronic diseases conducted in eight European countries.
People who drank one or more glasses of sugar-sweetened soda a day were about 30 percent more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes than those who drank less than one glass a month.
Because the link between sugar-sweetened soda and Type 2 diabetes was independent of BMI (an indicator of obesity level) and calorie intake, this finding suggests that other factors, such as the spike in blood sugar people experience when they drink soda, may play a role in the risk, the researchers said.

People who drank diet soda were also at increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes during the study compared with those who drank no soda. However, when the researchers took into account participants' BMI and total energy intake, the increased risk disappeared. This finding suggests that the link between diet soda and diabetes risk was driven by participants' weight: People who are obese, and thus already at risk for Type 2 diabetes, tend to report higher consumption of diet drinks.
Healthy food choices (such as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables), daily exercise and weight loss can help prevent Type 2 diabetes, or slow the progress of the disease in those with prediabetes, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The new study is published today (April 24) in the journal Diabetologia.

  

Battle of the Breads

Why is whole-grain bread healthier than white bread?

Bread is made out of flour that comes from grain kernels — usually wheat. A grain kernel has three parts: the bran, the endosperm, and the germ (so called because it's the part of the kernel that germinates into a new plant).
Whole grains contain all parts of the grain kernel. But refined grains, like the flour used to make white bread, have had the fiber-dense bran and the nutrient-rich germ processed out, leaving only the starchy endosperm. This means that refined grain is not as rich in essential fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, and zinc.
Some flour and bread manufacturers "enrich" their bread by adding extra vitamins back in. But it's still better to eat whole grains. The fiber and protein from the bran and germ provide a more constant source of energy, which will keep you going long after the energy from refined grains is gone. The fiber in the bran can also mean whole-grain breads help people feel full longer, preventing overeating.
If you're buying packaged bread in the supermarket, be sure the label says "whole grain" or "whole wheat."

(From this article)

Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.

I Love Michael Pollan. I have read all of his books and eagerly await his next one, Cooked, due out the end of April. Food Rules: An Eater's Manual is the best one to start with. He stands by the fact that eating does not have to be complicated. He actually has a list of 64 "food rules" that can help you decide what you should eat and what you should avoid. The three that really sum it up are the title of this post.

Eat Food.

When Michael Pollan tells you to eat food, he is telling you to eat 'real' food! One of my favorite lines of his is "Don't eat anything that your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize as food." He goes on to use GoGurt as an example! Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry. I love that he uses the term 'food products'. He wants you to stick to food that nature intended you to consume. You don't need high-fructose corn syrup. You should stay away from food products that have some form of sugar in the top three ingredients. Avoid processed food with more than 5 ingredients. Avoid the ingredients that you can't pronounce. 

Not Too Much.

Stop eating before you're full. Eat when you're hungry, not when you're bored. Eat Slowly. Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it. The slower you eat, the less you will eat. Eat a proper portion, not a super sized one. By not eating too much food, you can afford to pay more for the food that you do buy. Pay the money for grass fed beef, free of antibiotics and hormones. Michael Pollan says "Eat animals that have themselves eaten well." Buy the organic apples instead of the ones that have been heavily sprayed with pesticides.

Mostly Plants.

Eat all of the fruits and vegetables that you want. Leaves are full of nutrients! Think spinach and kale! Eat your colors! The more colorful your dinner plate, the better. Eat well-grown food from healthy soil. Organic is not a gimmick! Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food. We eat entirely too much in America. Another Pollan quote "Eating what stands on one leg (mushrooms and plant foods) is better than eating what stands on two legs (fowl), which is better than eating what stands on four legs (cows, pigs and other mammals)."

This is only a preview of his feelings toward food. I agree with everything that he has to say! He does a great job explaining what he means by what he says. You don't need fad diets and confusing health advice. Just stop and think about the food first. 

Eat mindfully.

Michael Pollan Books 

7 Tips For Eating Healthy (And Organic) On A Budget

When I mention eating healthy and buying organics, most people tell me that it's expensive. It doesn't have to be! Remember that buying larger clothes, medication and paying doctor bills IS expensive. You decide what is important to you...you spend money on your phone, clothes, shoes, hair, nails, etc etc

Your health should be your top priority! Here is a short list of tips that may help.

1. Eat smaller portions.
It may seem funny at first, but it is actually quite practical. If you eat less, you’ll spend less. Besides the financial benefits of eating smaller portions, it can also help you improve digestion, reduce bloating and trim your waistline. You don’t have to starve yourself, but just reducing your portion size by as little a third will go a long way towards reducing your grocery bill, too. Try using smaller plates; it will fool your eye into believing you have more food. Also, waiting five to ten minutes before getting a second helping will help trigger neurotransmitters that tell your brain you’ve had enough to eat.

2. Eliminate processed foods.
Packaged and processed foods may seem inexpensive at first, but the lack of nutrients in these foods will cause your body to continue to crave the nourishment it needs. It is a never-ending loop that will lead to a higher expense in the end (not to mention a slew of health issues in the future). Cut out processed foods and spend the extra money buying highly nutritious, fresh foods.

3. Cook at home.
Today, people in the Western world eat more than 50% of their meals outside the home. It’s convenient, yes, but it contributes to the obesity epidemic (the average portion size is much bigger in restaurants), and it can be really problematic when trying to stick to a limited budget. When you take the time to cook your meals at home, you tend to make and eat less food. By using organic ingredients and healthy recipes, you can create meals that are both tasty and healthy. It will also give you a chance to learn about the foods, spices and condiments you cook with.

4. Eat more raw foods.

Although fresh, organic vegetables can come with a steep price tag, eating more of them can actually save you money down the road. Because you get more of the vitamins, minerals, probiotics, phytonutrients, etc. from raw veggies than from canned, frozen, or cooked ones, you can actually eliminate the need for supplements. You can also give your immune system a boost that will keep you out of the doctor’s office.

5. Shop at the farmers' market.
If you have the option to buy your fruits and vegetables at a farmers' market, do it. Because they're the source of the food and are local, they don’t have to add transportation expenses or store mark-ups. Most of what you find at the farmers' market will be in season and organic, so you'll be spending less, helping the local economy and protecting the environment.

6. Buy whole grains in bulk.
Whole grains and legumes are cheap and are packed with protein, fiber and other nutrients, all of which can help you feel fuller longer. Try buying your grains, beans, seeds, and nuts in bulk. Wholesale markets and grocery stores will often have a bulk section in the back where you can scoop as much as you want and pay per pound. You'll find that by skipping the packaging, the grains will be a lot cheaper. These kinds of foods will also stay edible for a long time, so if you hit a great sale, don’t be afraid to stock your pantry.

7. Skip unnecessary treats.
Although it never hurts to indulge now and then, you might want to find some healthier and less expensive substitutes for your usual snacks. Most of the treats we crave are high in refined sugar, fat, or salt and come with a lot of preservatives and packaging. Instead of buying cookies and other packaged goodies, try learning to bake your own healthy versions using whole ingredients. There are also plenty of treats that use sugar substitutes, are gluten free, and come from organic bakeries. A sweet piece of fruit can often satisfy a sudden sweet tooth, and some toasted nuts can satiate your appetite for salt.

(info taken from article)

Solutions in the mirror may be closer than they appear.

The scope and scale of our national health crisis is so massive that it may seem beyond all hope. But it is not.

In fact, each of us has an important role to play in solving these problems for ourselves, and for each other.

Every time one of us starts taking the steps necessary to build and protect our health, we rescind our support of the nasty systems that are breaking millions of us down.

And if enough of us start treating our own bodies well, we will create new norms of vitality and well-being. 

If we band together to demand and embrace healthier options - in our grocery stores, cafeterias, homes, workplaces, schools, healthcare centers, neighborhoods - we can reverse the trends that have been depleting our life force for decades.

Most of the trends and public policies responsible for our country's ill health have occured over the past 40 years - in large part, by design. And they can be turned around in a fraction of that time by a swell of grass-roots insistence.

So if you can help make that happen, do. Connect with others who share your healthy convictions. Then go boldly forth and start thriving - one conscious thought, one empowering choice, one revolutionary act at a time. 

(text from http://revolutionaryact.com/ ) 

This is the last entry from the manifesto from revolutionaryact.com. It was meant for you to really think about the state of our nation, how you eat, how you feed your family, your activity level and theirs. 

I had planned to post this last entry today and was thinking of final thoughts when I saw this in my inbox... The only food rule that really matters

SET. YOUR. PERSONAL. STANDARDS. HIGHER!

It's not so hard, but we complicate it. Our culture has decided that cheap and convenient is fine when it comes to food, but unacceptable when it comes to the cars we buy or the shoes we wear. We try our best to recycle our soda cans and be conscious of our environment, but forsake our bodies.

When it comes to what we eat, the first thing read is the price, next is the calories, and, finally, microwave heating instructions. But how often do any of us look at the ingredients, research the sources, and really make ourselves fully informed on where the food comes from and how it's raised or grown? And while we're bragging about the vegan or paleo or whatever lifestyle we've chosen, have we considered the cultural histories that allowed peoples past (you know, those who would find our debates about things like Obamacare strange signs of an unhealthy time?) to be healthier than our modern civilization is proving to be? 

The solution is simple: decide you deserve better and eat accordingly. Invest in your food, both in time and in money. Decide for yourself what your standards are, then eat that way, choosing a variety of real, nutrient-rich food, and keeping a strong focus on really, REALLY enjoying it.

 

Forget about Quick Fixes

No magic diet, powder, pill or elixir is going to solve the problems we're wrestling with now. And forking over cash for quick fixes only lines the pockets of the quick-fix hucksters who helped get us into this mess.

So instead of squandering your valuable time and money on miracle cures, invest in making healthy life changes for the long haul.

If you're having trouble with that, know that you are not alone. You are not a bad, weak, lazy or doomed person - you're just up against some tough opponents.

If you're willing and determined, you can defeat them. Handily.

It may require developing new skills, strategies and perspectives.

It might mean connecting with new support systems and role models.

It could mean nursing some healthy indignation and cultivating some well-deserved self-compassion.

Almost certainly, it will require connecting with your own deepest sources of healthy motivation and stoking them into revolutionary action.

All this takes time and awareness and a willingness to experiment. And there's no better time to start than now.

(text from http://revolutionaryact.com/ )

The Best Defense is a Good Offense.

In the battle for our well-being, the forces of ill health may have won the last few rounds. But we've got some crazy judo moves they aren't expecting.

Like giving up on diets and self-denial, and focusing on nourishing our bodies instead.

Like giving up on spot reducing and calorie counting and finding feel-good ways to get active and fit.

Like investing in healthy foods, stress management and proactive health support now - instead of paying gigantic medical bills later.

The healthier and more clear-headed you are, the better your chances of fending off the unhealthy influences that besiege you on a daily basis.

The stronger and more resilient you are, the better your chances of weathering the challenges that come your way.

And the more of us healthy, happy people there are, the better our shot at creating the kind of world in which thriving comes more easily for everyone.

So don't let your guard down, and don't let anyone convince you to settle for less than full-throttle vitality.

Remain vigilant. Defend your right to be well with unflinching determination and all the mojo you can muster.

(text from http://revolutionaryact.com/ )

Inaction is not an option

The time for passivity is past. Today, nearly every U.S. household is touched by obesity or chronic disease. And most often, when one family member's health is compromised, the whole family suffers.

It's time for that suffering to stop. But simply suppressing symptoms and "managing" diseases is not the answer.

As you read this, approximately 75 percent of our healthcare dollars are being spent ineffectively on chronic conditions, many of which can only be resolved through lifestyle change.

These burdens of chronic illness are simultaneously gutting our economy, our communities, and our whole population's ability to thrive. They're undermining the lives of our children, and the potential of future generations.

It's time to face the reality that unless we're part of the solution, we're part of the problem. And the problem is plenty big already.

None of us can afford to sit this challenge out. None of us deserves to live less than the best, healthiest life at our disposal.

So raise your sights. Raise your standards. Restake your claim to a vital body and mind. And never, ever back down. 

(text from http://revolutionaryact.com/ )

This is NOT about six-pack abs and skinny jeans

Sure. Healthy is sexy and beautiful. A strong, fit body looks as good as it feels. But the most valuable rewards of good health and fitness have very little to do with rippling muscles or thin thighs. 

You'd never know that by looking at conventional media, though.

All those sensationalized headlines, sexy images and instant-results promises may get our attention and appeal to our vanity, but they can also make getting healthy seem like a self-indulgent undertaking or a trivial, out-of-reach fantasy.

Worse, the unrelenting focus on largely unachievable ideals has a way of playing to our body-image insecurities.

Those superficial obsessions can also distract us from the deeper, lasting motivations that matter more. 

So if mass media is messing with your mind or sapping your self-esteem, tune out the hype and turn your attention elsewhere. Like the reasons being healthy matters to you.

Maybe you have your heart set on six-pack abs and buns of steel; maybe not.

Either way, connecting with your own authentic healthy-life vision and values is the best way to start.

(text from http://revolutionaryact.com/ )

You change your world

Being healthy is a revolutionary act. Throwing off the chains of poor health and reclaiming our full vitality is both our individual right and our collective responsibility. And there is perhps no more life-transforming choice.

Being strong and healthy in an unhealthy culture makes you part of an empowered minority. It gives you freedoms and opportunities that poor health and fitness prohibit. It endows you with the energy, clarity and resiliency to fully enjoy your life, and to make bigger, more meaningful contributions in anything you do.

Choosing a healthy way of life involves making some revolutionary choices, and it also has revolutionary results.

Because when you change your health for the better, you change the lives of everyone around you for the better, too.

In a very real way, you change your world.

(text from http://revolutionaryact.com/ )

The resistance is alive and well.

Every day, more and more of us are waking up to the realization that no one is going to save us but us. We're getting clear that if we don't want to get sucked into an unhealthy quagmire, we've got to start swimming against the tide.

So we are learning about our bodies and minds, and doing what it takes to keep them strong and well.

We are growing, buying and preparing more whole, nutritious foods and avoiding processed junk. We are moving and sweating and exploring. We are resting and playing and connecting.

We are reclaiming control of our healthcare choices. We are dealing with the root causes of our health challenges, rather than simply suppressing our symptoms.

In short, we are treating our health like the fundamental priority it is.

We are rising up to take back the power for our own well-being. And we are discovering just how good that feels.

(text from http://revolutionaryact.com/ )

The time for complicity is over.

Tempting as it may be, we can't blame this all on a conspiracy of health-sapping influences. 

Yes, it is true that we're surrounded by supersized junk foods and sedentary pastimes. Yes, we've been saddled with misleading labels and industry-influenced dietary guidelines. Yes, we've been bombarded by demoralizing media, manipulative advertising, and downright lousy advice.

But still. We've taken a lot of that sitting down.

For too long, we've allowed ourselves to be overprescribed, overfed, underinformed and overindulged. We've been quick to embrace superficial solutions and half-baked ideas.

We've permitted ourselves to be pandered to in the name of ease, convenience and "value" - and we've grown passive, expecting effortless cures to come from the outside.

Conspiracy theories notwithstanding, the greatest threats to our well-being lie in the health-sapping decisions we make every day by default. Because healthy choices have been rendered tougher than they ought to be. And because-like frogs in hot water-we've been willing to tolerate the intolerable.
Until now.

(text from http://revolutionaryact.com/ )

There are powerful social, economic and politcal forces undermining our health

Our culture didn't get this unhealthy by accident. From the processed-food industry to pharmaceuticals, well-funded interests rake in huge amounts of money off our unhealthy population. They've been doing it for decades, and they pay billions of lobbying dollars to make sure they can keep doing it.

These special interests not only manipulate public policy and the media to our disadvantage, they conduct huge misinformation and marketing campaigns designed to keep us buying into products and behaviors that hurt us.

Their message? That their health-sapping options are wholesome, easy, appealing, cool, fun, affordable, delightful indulgences (or absolute necessities) that will make us and our lives oh-so-much better.

And we've taken the bait. We have been brainwashed into adopting daily behaviors and choices that poison our bodies, fog our minds and cost us billions in medical bills.

Here's what those powers-that-be won't tell you: Buy into what currently passes for "normal" in American, and you're unlikely to stay healthy for long.

(text from http://revolutionaryact.com/ )

The way we are living is crazy

The United States currently produces more obese, chronically ill and depleted people than it does vital, fit, resilient ones...and this trend is worsening.

Two out of three U.S. adults is overweight or obese. At any given time, half of us are contending with at least one chronic disease. A growing number of us are reliant on pharmaceuticals whose side effects and interactions undermine our health and quality of life.

Our children, too, are becoming ill and prescription dependent at ever-younger ages, and their life spans are being shortened as a result. 

Enough already! Our collective lack of vitality has become an oppressive source of misery and waste, one that threatens to impede our lives, our liberties, and our pursuit of happiness. 

We can change this. We must change this...together.

(text from http://revolutionaryact.com/)

Being Healthy is a Revolutionary Act

  

For the next few posts, I want to share with you some tidbits from a great website: http://revolutionaryact.com/

(all text will be from this site unless I make note otherwise)

In case you haven't noticed, we live in a society where the idea of health and fitness is wildly popular, but where actually becoming a truly healthy person can be mighty tough to pull off.

There's a reason so many of us are sick, overweight, depressed and stressed out: We're living in a society that is wired up to make us sick, overweight, depressed and stressed out.

We can change this mixed-up reality!

We can reclaim our well-being and create a better, more blissful world. But it's going to take some revolutionary moxie to make it happen.

This manifesto is a collection of ideas, reality-checks and insights designed to help those of us who value our health create and sustain healthy change...even in the face of some daunting challenges.

If you're up for that, way to go, friend --

and welcome to the revolutionary club! 

Here are 10 revolutionary truths that a growing number of us hold to be self-evident.....

(to be continued over the next few posts....I want you to read each one and soak it in. Really think about what is being said and what you can do about it)

Dessert anyone?

My sister is a big fan of chocolate chip cookies. She is also a big fan of eating healthy. She recently ran across this recipe that satisfies both loves!!

Chocolate chip meringues 

I have not made them myself so I'll share her tips from her email when she shared this recipe with her friends: 

"I have been on the quest for a while to find something sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth yet low calorie enough to be able to enjoy! And I try not to consume artificial sweeteners... so its been quite the search. As you all probably know, chocolate chip cookies are my all time favorite food...
I finally found it!!These are SO good!! I reduced the sugar to 1/2 cup and they are still plenty sweet. And I did not dust the tops.. its not needed and saves a couple of calories. I would recommend using the mini chips (I used regular so they didn't distribute very evenly, and I only added 1/4 cup. I think you could leave them out altogether and still have a yummy treat, but not quite a chocolate chip cookie substitute). These have the crisp of a cookie, the chocolate chips and are perfectly sweet, they taste just like a cookie! And I guess I made mine smaller because it made 50 which came to 15 calories each!"

ENJOY!

Let's chew the fat!

Let's get one thing straight,  

all fats are not created equal.  

Advertising that something is fat-free or low fat is a popular way to get people to buy processed foods. People are under the impression that fat makes you fat. The human body actually needs some fat to survive. Which kind of fat you consume is the key.

Virtually all foods contain some fat.  It is in foods because both plants and animals use fats as the most economical way to store energy.  It is needed for their growth, development and function when there is a shortage of food supply (or a shortage of sunlight in the case of plants).
We are much like other animals so we do actually need some fat from our diet to survive.  As with most things, too much fat is bad. The fat that you do consume for health needs to be from the Good Fats list.

Type 2 diabetes is on the rise in this country because we are consuming too much fatty fast foods. We all produce insulin (a hormone that escorts glucose into your cells for energy) but when the cells are insulin resistance, they resist that action and glucose builds up in your blood. Why would the cells resist this natural process? Because cells can become clogged with bad fat! 

Trans fat is made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil through a process called hydrogenation, which makes the oil less likely to spoil. Using trans fats in the manufacturing of foods helps foods stay fresh longer, giving it a longer shelf life. You will see this listed as hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oil on processed foods. Avoid it! (I think by looking at that short list you already know that you should)

Animal products are the source of most saturated fat. I have read enough to know that a plant based diet is best for your health. I don't expect you all to become vegetarians but please limit the amount of animal products that you do consume. You can follow a plant based diet and still eat lean meats occasionally if you wish. Notice that fish is on the good fats list under polyunsaturated.

 

Polyunsaturated fats include omega-6 and omega-3 which play a crucial role in brain function and in the normal growth and development of your body. Your body needs them but isn't able to produce them. 

Monosaturated fats are fine in moderation. Just because they are 'good' doesn't mean I suggest you pig out! What I am saying is do not avoid an egg yolk, avocado or peanut butter because you are scared of the fat. It's ok in moderation!

 

Everything in food works together to create health or disease. 

If you are eating for good health for the rest of your life, 

you will never again have to count calories or worry about your weight.